Whew! Summer is finally here and school is out for a whole two and a half months. No more books and backpacks, no more tests and tension. Surely, you worked hard during the year and you deserve a break. Islam certainly allows for rest after hard work but under certain regulations.
Hanzalah bin Aamir once complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him that some of his time gets consumed in playing with his children and mingling with the family. The Prophet answered him, “But there should be a time for this and a time for serious deeds.”
But the question is….to what extent should you go on spending your summer vacation? Does vacation mean a mere pastime, attending parties, and hanging out with your friends, or watching satellite channels and playing endless video games? These are questions that every conscious Muslim who is concerned about his welfare in the Aakhirah should ask himself.
Lower your gaze
Don’t go to the beach or other places such as public swimming pools at a time you know when it will be difficult for you to lower your gaze. Instead, have a pool party at one of your friends’ house (no mixing of genders, of course!)
Are you going to ‘kill time’?
As for killing time, since when, is ‘time’ an enemy that you should strive to kill it?!! Time is your most precious asset….your lifetime and the moments of your life which you could fill with thousands and millions of virtuous deeds.
Remember, you will have to account for your time
Don’t waste your time loitering in the malls or sitting at the computer for hours on end. Remember that these hours gone will never come back. And we will have to give account of this time lost when we are presented before Allah.
Hey, Who are your ‘friends’ anyway? What are your gatherings like?
Make sure you have good company. Take a close look at your friends and ask yourself, what kind of friends do I have? Do they encourage me to do good or do they keep me away from the remembrance of the Almighty?
Some positive things you can do:
1. Now that you have time, make sure to go to the masjid for congregational prayers, possibly all the five times a day.
2. Sleep early and get up early, for early hours always yield great blessings.
3. Keep to friends who are righteous, those that can help you in righteous deeds and prevent you from evil.
4.Spend quality time with parents, brothers and sisters and family.
5. Seek Allah’s forgiveness (istighfar) as it opens the doors to goodness
6. Take time out daily to recite, memorize and understand the Quran and Hadiths.
7. Attend seminars and other conclaves where useful knowledge could be shared about Islam and the worldly affairs.
Now, don’t get me wrong
I am not saying that you should not enjoy yourself or have time to relax and have fun. By all means! But do make sure that these means are within the limits set by Allah.
The Prophet said: “Make the most of five things before five others come: your life before your death, your health before your sickness, your spare time before your work, your youth before your old age and your wealth before your poverty.”
The author is associated with Al-Huda Institute, Bangalore. She can be reached atalhudabagalore@gmail.com